The water reserves in Morocco’s dams reached approximately 4.3 billion cubic meters as of July 7, with a filling rate of about 37.4%, according to an announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office following a meeting of the steering committee of the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program 2020-2027, chaired by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch in Rabat on Wednesday.
The meeting noted that the current water situation, despite some relative improvements, still requires greater vigilance, especially with increased pressure during the summer season. This necessitates intensified awareness campaigns to rationalize water consumption, alongside enhancing emergency measures to ensure water supply to the population, particularly in rural areas.
Participants also discussed the progress made in implementing the national program, especially projects related to inter-basin connections, such as the link between the Sebou and Bouregreg basins, and between the Oued El Makhazn and Dar Kharoufa dams. Additionally, they initiated the filling of eight major dams between 2021 and 2025.
The assessment also included accelerating seawater desalination projects to achieve an output exceeding 1.7 billion cubic meters annually by 2030, alongside enhancing water supply to rural areas and expanding the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation.
During the meeting, the program for small dams was adjusted, with the reprogramming of major and medium dam projects in regions with significant rainfall, in line with aligning water policy with climate change impacts.
The Prime Minister called on all stakeholders to continue mobilizing efforts to ensure the effective implementation of the national program according to the established timeline and to achieve complete harmony between water policy and agricultural policy, in anticipation of current and future challenges related to water resources.
Several government members and senior officials participated in the meeting, including Minister of Interior Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar Baraka, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Ahmed Bouharrat, and the Minister Delegate in charge of Budget Fouzi Lekjaa, along with the Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, Tariq Hamane.
